OGATA, Kenzan?

Two orihon (accordion) albums containing 24 double-page ink & brush paintings, each 480 x 360 mm., entitled, from the manuscript labels on the upper covers “Ogata Kenzan kindei kacho gajo” [“Flowers & Birds, Heightened with Gold Sprays, by Ogata Kenzan”].

Two vols. Small folio (363 x 242 mm.), modern yellow-green silk brocade over boards, endpapers in each volume with speckled gold. [Japan: n.d.].

Each of the 24 beautifully rendered double-page paintings in these two albums bears the signature “Kenzan,” although this appears not to be his autograph signature. In the first volume, his seal of “Ogata Kenzan” is stamped, and in the second volume the seal used is that of his artist name, “Shinsei.”

Ogata (1663-1743), was a painter and one of the greatest ceramicists of the Tokugawa era, famous for the skill of his brushstrokes. He was the younger brother of Korin Ogata (1658-1716), with whom he collaborated on many projects. ”Kenzan was fundamentally a Rimpa in his painting and pottery as his elder brother Korin; indeed, Bernard Leach, in his engagingly biased documentary, Kenzan and his Tradition, argues a case of Kenzan being the more original of the two.”–Jack Hillier, The Art of the Japanese Book, pp. 667-68.

The paintings, which may be by Kenzan, are very beautiful, depicting scenes of plants, butterflies, birds, landscapes, all with ample use of gold.

In fine condition, with occasional faint spotting. Accompanying these two albums is an appraisal report, dated 1932, with the stamp of “Teikoku bijutsu hozon kai no in” [“Seal of the Japanese Art Preservation Association”], stating these two albums contain 12 paintings, each by Kenzan.

These albums are preserved in three wooden boxes, each fitting within the next larger box. The innermost box has a silk pillow upon which the two albums rest. On the two smaller boxes, it is written that these albums contain paintings by Kenzan Ogata.

Price: $13,500.00

Item ID: 7394